


The Nearness of You

by TheShinySword



Series: Holiday (MocaChisa Rarepair Week Summer 2020) [7]
Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Bandori Rarepair Week, F/F, Homosexual Slow Dancing, Implied off screen spice, Kaoru Seta: Love Expert, T for Teen Hormones, lots of comfort, lots of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24597841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShinySword/pseuds/TheShinySword
Summary: Kaoru Seta is going to arrange the perfect romantic night for Chisato and Moca, whether they want her to or not.
Relationships: Aoba Moca/Shirasagi Chisato, Hazawa Tsugumi/Hikawa Sayo, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Seta Kaoru/Yamato Maya
Series: Holiday (MocaChisa Rarepair Week Summer 2020) [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769263
Comments: 24
Kudos: 79





	The Nearness of You

**Author's Note:**

> Just under the wire. 
> 
> Day 7 -- Free day. 
> 
> It's been a pleasure, I somehow wrote this in two days.

Was there anything in the world as magnificent as a grand, flashy, romantic gesture? If there was something else Kaoru Seta certainly hadn’t discovered it yet. She’d turned them into her brand, each year demonstrating to every single one of her wonderful little kittens that prince was not a title—it was a calling. Grand musical productions, individualized gifts, homeroom serenades, Kaoru had done it all, but finally, her reign was coming to an end.

First, she was a taken woman now. Her Maya demanded her every romantic inclination. Actually, Maya demanded absolutely nothing of Kaoru but her new place in Kaoru’s life as her muse, light and girlfriend was insistence enough to Kaoru’s senses. There was room in her heart for an infinity of kittens, but there was only room for one princess and it had been so simple to choose Maya.

Second, she was only a few months from graduation and even Kaoru knew it would be weird for an alumnus to hang around and flirt with high schoolers. Haneoka would be in good hands with her two young proteges. The Udagawa sisters were well equipped to handle all the kittens she’d leave behind and all the ones to come. Ako even seemed to be beginning her inevitable Udagawa growth spurt. Kaoru was content to fade away into fable, a pleasant memory for all.

But perhaps there was time for just one more itsy bitsy grand, fantastical romance gesture. Just one before Maya dragged her away from club activities to study for the horrid _exams_ that even the best theater conservatories still demanded she take. Maya had been hesitant at first when Kaoru proposed “one last job” so to speak, but when she had said who it was for well…

How could Maya possibly refuse helping Chisato?

Kaoru pinched herself THRICE when Chisato came to her for help. Of course, Kaoru made time at least once a month for a sit down to catch up with her dearest, oldest friend, though Chisato often left in the middle of their tea in exhaustion, but she didn’t expect to have Chisato ask her specifically for assistance with a six month anniversary present for Chisato’s beau (perhaps Kaoru may have made a slight assumption that Chisato’s complaint was a request for assistance—but assumptions were the point of friendship!).

If Chisato asked for her shirt she would give it! If she needed strong arms, Kaoru would find someone with them! If she demanded a sword to cut Kaoru down with, Kaoru would hunt down the blade and bare her chest. And if she wanted a fancy french restaurant to take Moca Aoba to in complete privacy then Kaoru would make one whole cloth!

And that was how Kaoru and Maya, the rest of their respective bands, most of Afterglow and even all of Roselia and Poppin’ Party ended up spending their Saturday afternoon transforming Hazawa Coffee into Chateau Hazawa. It had been incredibly easy to procure assistance. First Kaoru formed a committee consisting of herself, her beloved, Kanon Matsubara, Tsugumi Hazawa, Saaya Yamabuki, Lisa Imai and Chisato’s own little sister Hisami Shirasagi. It was a bit difficult to work their schedules around a middle schooler’s but they still managed to meet weekly for a month in preparation for the Big Day. Tsugumi and her family immediately volunteered their business, Lisa and Saaya pledged their culinary expertise and Maya swore that she and Hisami could redecorate the interior to perfection. As for Kanon, she was putting her future assistant manager skills to work as Kaoru’s right hand.

Chisato would never know what hit her. Especially since she had immediately asked Kaoru to forget she’d brought it up! But Kaoru was completely incapable of forgetting anything pertaining to love—it was her greatest blessing and her greatest curse. She was going to craft the most romantic date night imaginable for Chisato and Moca, whether they liked it or NOT. Hopefully not not though!

Kaoru wanted to complete a last walkthrough before the event was ready to commence. She began at the outside of the shop. The block around them was empty, as were the blocks around those blocks. The shopping district had been shut down a few hours early for the night thanks to Saaya and Tsugumi’s negotiations with the board in addition to a VERY generous donation from the Tsurumaki foundation. The streets had a certain privacy without any shoppers wandering down them—which was essential! Chisato lived in fear of discovery but for one night Kaoru would make her worries vanish.

The exterior of Chateau Hazawa was transformed. The walkway to the entrance was lined with high standing candelabras—a clever reuse from Haneoka’s multi-phantom rendition of Phantom of the Opera—waiting to be lit when the time was right and cast the street in their romantic glow. Kaoru wanted to line the sidewalk with rose petals but her florist for the evening called the idea “an offensive waste of flowers” so she let the idea go. It was still a glorious entryway, especially with the, as the French would say, pizza de résistance, the sign made by the Haneoka theater team with the help of resident French expert, Himari Uehara.

Maya led her team in carefully erecting the sign over the usual Hazawa Coffee logo. There it glistened in beautiful latin letters rendered in gold paint on plywood: “Cattoe Hazawa”. Kaoru trusted it was spelled correctly, Himari knew everything there was to know about France and if she didn’t Kaoru didn’t know enough to figure that out!

Still, it wouldn’t matter how pretty the sign was if it couldn’t be seen, Kaoru pondered on the sidewalk. The plan was for a Tsurumaki family car to pick up Chisato and bring her directly to the restaurant. So the ideal moment for her to see the sign would be as she pulled up!

Kaoru squatted down, as closely imitating sitting in a car seat as possible. She hopped down the street on the right hand side and craned her neck towards the top of the building. It was no good, they wouldn’t be able to see the sign from that close! All Himari’s hard work was going to be wasted.

“Huhehe, Kaoru-san, what are you doing?” Maya peered out the doorway wiping away the sweat on her brow.

“Darling!” Kaoru waved, knees still bent. “I’m trying to determine what our guests’ approach will look like tonight!”

“It’s a one way street though, so I think they’ll be coming from the other way,” Maya pointed across the street. “

Kaoru tilted her head to spot a car parked in the opposite direction of Kaoru’s mimicry. “Oh.” She waddled forward and made a U-turn in her pretend car before hopping down the street once more, this time in the correct direction. To her delight, the sign was perfectly placed. If she had a checklist, she’d mark it off! Onto the interior!

The inside of the shop was bustling with activity. In the corner of the makeshift stage they’d erected, the evening’s entertainment was tuning their instruments as Maya returned to her post to run a quick sound check. The live music was going to be perfect—Moca Aoba’s very favorite singer was so excited to perform at the private venue. Tomoe and Ako moved the tables around the interior and as soon as a table was set in place, Himari and Arisa descended on it with a white table cloth, pulling it tight around the top and carefully—very carefully—tweaking and straightening it until it was absolutely perfect.

Kaoru swung into the kitchen to peek on the true artists at work. Lisa, Saaya and Tsugumi all formed their own little stations inside the stainless steel kitchen. There were three chefs with their girlfriends—Rei, Kasumi and Sayo—as their bewildered sous-chefs. Every few minutes or so one of the chefs would swing over to their respective partners with a spoonful of something, asking if it tasted good. They always said yes. Perhaps they should have picked different taste testers, Kaoru thought with a chuckle, for what was love but the greatest spice of all?

Oooo that was so clever, she’d have to write it down later to tell Maya.

Kaoru quickly checked the time. It was a quarter to five. If the curtain was set to go up at six then she was just about ready to get into her costume. She couldn’t contain the smile on her face, but she didn’t want to anyway. It was going to be a marvelous night.

* * *

Chisato knew exactly who she could blame for whatever was about to happen as soon as she saw “Cattoe Hazawa” plastered in tacky gold letters over the usual quaint Hazawa Coffee sign. Once again, Chisato had made the grave error of being vulnerable in front of Kaoru Seta and now she was going to pay the price. Her childhood friend was one of the kindest people in the world but unfortunately that kindness was paired with the sort of romantic naivety that would make even Cinderella roll her eyes.

At least her day made more sense now. It was wonderful to have her little sister drag her off to the movies on her own initiative but it had been odd how Hisami insisted they go to an entirely different cafe in the opposite direction from Hazawa Coffee afterwards. Tricky, tricky Hisami.

The door to the black Benz that had been sent to pick her up was silently opened by a white gloved driver in a black suit. Courtesy of the Tsurumaki family, Chisato assumed. It was embarrassing but she had spent so long being told where to go by people in suits, that it honestly didn’t occur to her to find the request odd when the driver arrived and told her to put on an appropriate evening gown.

Chisato owned quite a few more evening gowns than the average eighteen year old. It was a bit chilly in the mid November air with her shoulders exposed but she looked so good in her gown she decided she’d suffer for beauty. She first wore the elegant baby blue evening gown for an award show and then promptly never had another opportunity. With the gown and the heels and the accessories entirely picked out by herself, she felt more beautiful than usual.

She gratefully took the offered hand and stepped out of the car. She could handle whatever Kaoru had planned, Chisato decided as she carefully stepped over the cracked street in her moderately high heels, and if she was very lucky she might even enjoy it.

The entrance was lined with lit standing candelabras she recognized from the ridiculous performance of Phantom of the Opera Kaoru convinced her to star as Christine in. The production ended up with seven different phantoms because Kaoru said yes to anyone with a vague interest in the role. It was an absolute disaster and, Chisato had to admit, a begrudgingly good time. Whether the candelabras’ presence was a good or ill omen, she couldn’t decide.

Ako Udagawa waited by the front door, dressed in a tiny purple tuxedo, arms flapping with extra fabric. She grinned toothily as Chisato approached, her little fang glimmering in the candle light. “Welcome to the dark rhapsody of your eternal… um… um…”

“Slumber? Damnation?” Chisato chuckled, “None of these sound particularly pleasant.”

The younger Udagawa frowned, racking her brain for the missing answer. Finally, she gave up and yanked the door open with a practiced flourish and a bow. “Have fun Chisa-senpai!”

“I’ll try.” Chisato stepped over the threshold and into whatever Kaoru Seta’s version of a French Bistro was.

Inside a red velvet curtain was hung from a freestanding crossbar, dividing the front of Hazawa Coffee (apologies, “Cattoe Hazawa”) from the main interior. Directly in front of the curtain’s center was a wooden podium, probably “borrowed” by Haneoka’s president, where Tomoe stood in a much more form fitting purple tuxedo than her sister’s. Somewhere Himari was undoubtedly drooling. The thought made Chisato smile. She’d grown very fond of the two and their constant cries of ‘babe’.

“Good evening, Tomoe-chan,” Chisato said with a small nod of her head.

For a brief moment, Tomoe smiled goofily with her wild fang and the splendid fire in her eyes. Then she remembered something important and snapped her attention to the composition notebook spread out on the podium. “Do you have a reservation?” She asked like she wasn’t sure what the words meant.

“Do I… have a reservation?” Chisato repeated slowly, not sure she understood the question.

“Yes.” Tomoe nodded, tapping the book with her forefinger. “We are booked up for the night. Reservations only.”

“What.”

Tomoe fidgeted with the pages, “um, Chisato-san, I’m sorry but it’s a script, please don’t be mad at me.”

Chisato softened her expression. If it was for someone as good natured as Tomoe, she could play along. “But I don’t have a reservation. What shall I do?”

“You will have to leave,” Tomoe said with a relaxed smile. “You cannot eat here, Chisato Shirasagi.”

“CHISATO SHIRASAGI!” The curtain flew open. And there was Kaoru Seta, theatrics personified, in a slimming black tuxedo with a golden bowtie. “The Chisato Shirasagi in MY restaurant?”

“Y-yes!” Tomoe stammered, eyes burning into the notebook in front of her. “But unfortunately we do not have a table so she cannot enter. Throw her out… to the… wolves?”

“Nonsense!” Kaoru declared. “I have someone waiting for her right now!”

“Do you?” Chisato asked, stepping towards her oldest and loudest friend.

“Only the most important VIP. She’s been waiting for you all night.”

“The night has only just begun, she can’t be terribly patient then.”

“If I were deprived of your presence for even a moment my well of patience would run dry too.”

“My, my.” Chisato raised slim fingers to her lips. “What would Maya-chan think of you saying such things to me?”

“She helped me write the lines, so I’m certain she’d be delighted that the performance is going so swimmingly.”

Chisato let a light chuckle through her fingers. “Please take me to this VIP or my patience will be the next to run out.”

“But of course,” Kaoru twirled her arm in the air and stepped to the side. She gestured through the parted curtains. “After you.”

Chisato knew in her mind that the place beyond the curtains was Hazawa Cafe. But her eyes didn’t recognize it. The space had been completely transformed with more heavy velvet curtains covering the usual trappings of the coffeeshop on all sides. It was lit predominately by low floor lights on the ground mixed with the soft light of tealights on a series of tables set throughout the floor. The room was dark still, but so warm and inviting that Chisato found herself instantly at ease.

A small stage was set up in the corner of the room where a new mix of bands played some soft jazz, covering the room in a comforting blanket. Ran led the group on guitar, trading her electric guitar for the more dulcet tones of a jazz one. Yukina was at her side, singing old love songs into the microphone, completely ignorant to how Ran looked at her on certain lines. Behind them was Arisa on keyboard, looking more at peace than usual, Rimi plucking at a double bass that dwarfed her, Kanon on drums looking sharp in her double breasted vest and funky little hat and Hina Hikawa with a wide variety of instruments Chisato would have sworn she did not know. Though if anyone could suddenly learn the trumpet, trombone, and tenor sax it was Hina and her fedora.

More familiar faces were scattered at tables around the room. Eve and Rinko sat in the far corner, their hands linked underneath the table cloth. Kokoro and Hagumi sat close to the entrance, having moved their chairs so close together they were practically sharing one large seat. And there were Sayo and Tsugumi near the center, lost in each other’s eyes and their matching evening dresses. But Chisato hardly looked at any of them for long because everything she wanted was in the dead center of the room.

Kaoru slid to the side as they approached their destination, motioning towards her ‘VIP’ with an elegant gesture like a proper maitre d. “Madam, your date for the evening.”

Moca Aoba stood up with her usual lazy grin, undoubtably she’d spent her anticipatory time thinking of the best one liner to throw at Chisato as soon as she walked through the curtain, but as soon as she saw Chisato standing there all thoughts escaped her except for a single revelatory, “Woah.”

The feeling was mutual.

It was a well guarded secret where Kaoru kept her tailor so well trained in making men’s wear suit women’s bodies but Chisato was deeply grateful for whomever she was everyday. She’d imagined Moca in a proper tuxedo before, but she’d never thought she would actually get to see it.

Moca must have been sewn into the marine blue tux for how well it fit her. The coat with a black trim along the breast and collar fit forced her body into a strong V shape with a slight lilt in her back. The ends of her silver hair were gathered together with a matching blue ribbon tying her hair back in a little stub ponytail that exposed her slender neckline. It was almost more of an accessory than a hairstyle—like some long forgotten fashion Moca was going to bring back into style. Finishing off the look with a bit of playful formality was a checkered black and white bowtie. Moca absolutely picked that piece out herself.

Moca was handsome. It wasn’t the first time Chisato had thought that but it was the first time she’d known it with such force.

The couple’s eyes trailed over each other at the same time, drinking in every detail of this small miracle. Moca’s eyes only made Chisato feel warm inside and her gaze gave Chisato every permission to look back as intensely. They may have stayed there all night, just staring at each other, if Kaoru hadn’t cleared her throat and pulled out Chisato’s chair.

“If the lady would be so pleased,” Kaoru winked. “I shall be your maitre d all evening, if you have any wish in the world I will make it so!”

“Oooo can Moca-chan wish for a thousand more wishes?” Moca took her seat again as she watched Chisato take her own.

“My sweet Aoba-san, you do not need to ask for a thousand wishes when I would grant you a thousand and one.” Kaoru’s sincerity was so strong it looped around the circle of funny/not funny so many times Chisato lost all sense of humor. “But for now, I shall leave you in the capable hands of my best waitress!”

Kaoru fluttered away, leaving Himari behind in her best black and white suit styled waitress attire. She looked so adorable that Chisato was certain she and Tomoe would disappear into a closet halfway through the evening. “Hi guys!”

“Hii-chan~ are you going to grant Moca-chan’s every wish tonight?”

“All your food related wishes are my command!” Himari saluted.

Chisato smiled warmly. “Is there a menu for us to look at?”

“It’s not that sort of restaurant,” Himari winked.

“It’s not the sort of restaurant where you eat?” Chisato teased her younger friend.

“It’s not the sort of restaurant where you order! It’s prix-fix!” Another French word horribly and lovingly butchered tonight. “I’ll bring you guys some bread to start!”

Moca looked at Himari as if she had just descended from heaven. “Hii-chan, you know you’re my favorite right?”

“Really? Moca that’s—hey! You’d say that to anyone giving you bread!” Himari walked off in a pout.

“Heh heh, I cannot tell a lie.”

Chisato smirked, leaning forward on her folded hands, “Is that a lie too?”

“Who knows?” Moca wiggled her brows mysteriously, leaning forward on her own lazy hand. “Moca-chan was getting ready for a long and lonely night without her beloved by her side and now she’s here.”

“Moca…”

“Unlimited bread for Moca-chan,” Moca sniffed dramatically, wiping away an invisible tear. “It’s so beautiful to be reunited with something I love so much.”

Chisato huffed and rolled her eyes with an intensity she’d picked up from Ran. “I can’t believe you’d cheat on me with a bread roll.”

“Some would say I’m cheating on bread with you.”

On cue, Himari returned with a basket bursting with fresh bread rolls and butter. Moca sniffed the air, her eyes lighting up. “That’s a Yamabuki special right there!”

“How can you tell?”  
Moca winked and tapped the side of her nose, “The nose knows.” She reached into the basket and started to pile rolls on Chisato’s plate. “Those are the best ones to start with.”

Chisato moved a few onto Moca’s plate, “Maybe I’ll start with one.”

“Your loss.” Moca tapped their feet together under the table. On instinct, Chisato looked down to check the length of the table cloth. The white cloth barely reached their knees, not nearly enough to cover their feet up. If someone was looking down they would see plainly where Moca’s sleek loafer rested against Chisato’s heel and they’d instantly know that—

Moca tapped the space next to Chisato’s hand resting on the table until Chisato met her eyes. With a relaxing sigh, Chisato ordered her nerves to unwind. This wasn’t a public space, it was carefully crafted performance by their nearest and dearest. A tiny public display would never leave the space. No one would ever have to know. It was so hard to let herself forget for a moment.

“Can I get you a drink?” A familiar high pitched voice snapped Chisato from her ennui. Chisato’s little sister stood there in an adorable version of the waitress uniform with a large bottle of dark ruby liquid in her hands.

“I thought you were home.”

“I’m sneaky! Kao-chan picked me up.”

“Did she now?” Chisato eyed the suspicious bottle in her sister’s hands. “Hisami, if that’s not juice someone is going to be in very big trouble.”

Hisami flinched. “I-it’s just grape juice! Please don’t be mad.”

“Oh no no no, not at you.” Chisato reassured her little sister with a gentle smile. Then her features snapped back to sharp anger. “But I would have caused Kaoru quite a bit of pain.”

“Hisa-chan~ can I get some of that?” Moca spun her crystal “juice glass” in her hand.

“Of course Mochi!” Hisami sounded so happy when she cheered the little nickname she had so proudly thought up for Moca. They’d become close, maybe too close. Now that they were friendly they could easily gang up on Chisato and drag her into watching embarrassing movies and playing outrageous fanciful party games.

Moca held the glass up to her nose with a snooty sniff and a twirl of the liquid inside, “If I can’t have the 1967 vintage, I suppose the 1968 will have to do.”

“You’re missing out if you’re not having the 1966,” Chisato joined in the bit, raising her own glass in the air. Both Moca and Chisato couldn’t keep the act up without breaking into giggles.

Hisami laughed to fit in, despite not quite understanding the joke. She waved goodbye to Moca, who waved back cheerfully, before leaving with her bottle to serve the other tables.

“Thank you. You’re so good with her.”

“Hisa-chan is an angel. It’s fun! I don’t have a little sister… except Ako-chin, and Tomo-chin, and Hii-chan, and Ran for most of middle school.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Chisato watched fondly as Hisami struggled to fill Rinko’s glass, only saved by Eve’s quick reflexes. When she turned back, she found Moca smiling at the flower arrangement in the center of the table with fingers gently petting the petals of a yellow lily. “See something you like?”

“Ran made this.”

It was a reasonable guess. The centerpiece was a lovely showing of ikebana arrangement and between the only two arrangers they knew Ran was a bit more trained than Eve. But still, Chisato wondered. “How do you know?”

Moca wiggled her fingers at the arrangement with a cheeky grin. “Ran thinks she’s being sneaky but ‘ol Moca-chan’s got her number. Look.” Moca motioned to the flowers. There were an assortment of blossoms and branches arranged together with such specificity Chisato imagined it must have taken hours to simply choose the alignment. “She used seven plants. This orchid is her, cause she’s basic.” Moca pointed to the red five petal blossoms in the center of the arrangement. “The red tulips are Tomoe and the pink tulips are Himari, probably ‘cause they won’t stop using their two lips to make out. Then this branch wrapped around the center with those tsuguriffic leaves doing all the work of holding the flowers up is Tsugu.”

Chisato leaned in closer to the flowers, getting a sweet whiff of pollen. “What about the blue flowers intertwined with the branch?”

“I think these little clingy forget-me-nots are our fair Sayo.” They both glanced over at Tsugumi and Sayo’s table where both their hands were intertwined with one another illuminated by the flickering candle light.

“Seems apropos. So then what,” Chisato reached over and, as delicately as possible, cupped the little white blossom with vibrant yellow stamen at the bottom of the arrangement, “is this one?”

“That is a sasanqua camellia. Moca-chan’s favorite flower.”

Chisato’s hand moved to the lily nestled with the sasanqua blossom, their petals so carefully arranged to overlap. “Which means the yellow lily nestled with the sasanqua blossom is…” It felt presumptuous to say out loud but fortunately, Moca didn’t make her.

“It’s you, of course.”

Many complex feelings welled up in Chisato’s heart at the clear evidence that Ran Mitake considered her a close enough part of the group to include in an ikebana portrait. She chose to focus on the overwhelming sense of gratitude and affection towards the punk with a heart made of tender flowers. “Is this her version of a thank you note?”

“Maybe it’s ikebana fanart of the Afterglow cuddle pile.”

Chisato snorted into her grape juice, complex feelings chased away once again by the comedy stylings of Moca Aoba.

“I can just picture poor lonely Ran slaving away in her workshop, dreaming of Afterglow’s loving cuddles around her. Boo hoo,” Moca mimed her big crocodile tears. “It’s too painful, we have to find Ran someone to hold too.”

Before they could delve any further into Ran’s love life, Himari reappeared with a massive domed silver tray in her hand.

“Behold!” Himari dropped the tray on the table. She flung the cover off as if it were a loose cape and not a heavy metal half-sphere, Himari was a deceptively strong girl. Underneath on the tray was a long roll of baked puff pastry, shaped like a still steaming loaf of bread. It had been cut in half, revealing the juicy interior of a medium-rare steak.

“Beef Wellington? Why, I thought this was a French restaurant.” The quip came without thinking, in truth Chisato was impressed by the skill required to make something so delicious looking.

Moca gulped with excitement. For all the running bits Moca was committed to, Chisato was always amazed to see that her love for bread was absolutely, entirely genuine. “I don’t care where it’s from, it’s bread and meat combined so this is basically what Moca-chan was put on this planet to eat.”

Moca forked her half of the gourmet meal onto her plate and made it clear there would be no more conversation until she’d had her fill. Luckily, the dish was perfectly cooked with hearty vegetable sides to keep Moca from collapsing into a nutrient deprived bread pile.

Chisato enjoyed her portion, and enjoyed the look of ravenous gratitude on Moca’s face when she handed over her leftovers even more. That was the face she was going to miss the most. Moca’s unmediated joy: when she ate, when she saw her friends and sometimes even when she looked at Chisato. That magic when Moca’s head was clear of everything but pure unfiltered happiness.

Chisato’s hand crushed the cloth napkin in her lap. Why couldn’t she have one night where she didn’t get lost in her fears about the future? Graduation was still months away (graduation was only months away). She tried to tell herself nothing about her life was going to change, she was already practically a full time actress and idol and she didn’t even plan to move out of her parents’ home. But that wasn’t true, was it? The moment she truly entered the world of adults everything was going to get worse, every eye that had glanced away or lip that had excused her youthful discretions would turn with full intensity to her every action, and to the every action of those around her.

A gentle squeezing pressure on her knee brought Chisato back into the room. “Hey,” Moca’s soft voice brought the world back in focus. “You here?”

A new, unfamiliar sensation filled Chisato. She was grateful towards Kaoru for giving her the sort of night out Moca and Chisato could never have otherwise. “Yes.”

Moca kept her hand pressed against Chisato’s knee. She leaned forward, about to speak when the music came to an end and Kaoru’s voice filled the restaurant in its place.

“Ladies…” Kaoru swept her hands over her captive audience from the stage, plucking the microphone from Yukina. Behind her, the bassist clung to her instrument to keep upright. “And other ladies, if I may have your attention for a few moments to give my best wishes to the couple of the hour!”

On second thought, Kaoru wasn’t quite worth gratitude, was she?

Moca snickered at the sour look on Chisato’s face and cupped her hands to her face, “Go for it, Kaoru-san!”

“Thank you Aoba-san!” Kaoru cheered into the mic, pointing dramatically at Moca. “As you all know, it’s the sixth month anniversary for our beloved friends Chisato Shirasagi and Moca Aoba!”

“Oh shit, we should have gotten them a present,” Moca whispered in Chisato’s ear, forcing the actress to chew her tongue to keep from laughing.

“Some people believe celebrating monthiversaries is childish, foolish, and a complete waste of time.” Some people were Chisato. “But I say, let every day be an anniversary! My Maya and I just celebrated our one hundred and twenty seventh day together with a shared ice cream cone and a round of tennis!”

“Huhehe, Kaoru-san you’re rambling,” Maya called out from behind her soundboard. Thank the heavens for Maya Yamato’s patience.

“Apologies! Now, I wrote a set of poems for recitation this evening…”

Oh no.

“…However, Maya informed me that reading them aloud might constitute ‘making this about me’ so I will refrain.”

Chisato owed Maya something very big, perhaps a new girlfriend.

“But do make sure to pick up your souvenir satchels on your way out the door, so you don’t miss out on Kaoru Seta’s anthology of MocaChisa love poetry.”

Oh Kaoru, was this a fancy restaurant or a child’s birthday party? But Moca looked so delighted at the prospect of a poetry anthology dedicated to her that Chisato couldn’t keep her anger burning.

“Enough of me blathering about,” Kaoru laughed, “We need more dancing! I invite everyone to the dance floor for a private concert from none other than Moca Aoba’s very favorite singer.”

Chisato expected Ran to move to the front of the stage, but instead Aya emerged from behind the curtain. She was hardly recognizable as the girlish idol Chisato saw everyday, for once in her life Aya Maruyama radiated maturity. Her hair was worn long with a light wave that poured over her bare shoulders, exposed by the black dress she wore with matching elbow high gloves. Aya stepped up to the microphone, Hina Hikawa almost fumbled her collection of brass instruments in the background.

Sccrrreeeeeeeeeeeeen. A painful feedback noise reverberated throughout the room as Aya the pearl necklace around Aya’s neck cluelessly tapped against the microphone.

“Phew,” Moca sighed in relief, “I thought Aya might have grown up. What would Moca-chan do without her fluffy and pink oshi.”

“Hush,” Chisato huffed with a laugh.

“Oops! Sorry everyone!” Aya fumbled to pull the microphone off the stand. “Ah hem. This set is dedicated to my number one fan,” she winked at Moca, “And my personal idol!” Her bright smile turned to Chisato. “Please listen and dance!”

With that abrupt ending, Hina picked up her muted trumpet and began to lead the others in an old jazz standard. Aya’s singing voice was lower than usual, idol music demanded her use her upper register at all times but she actually sounded sweeter and fuller at the other end. Without her permission, Chisato’s feet began to tap to the beat.

Slowly, couples began to filter to the floor. Tsugumi tugged Sayo up, giggling as Sayo softly protested without any weight behind it. Saaya and Lisa emerged from the kitchen—still in their chef whites—to grab their girlfriends and hit the floor dancing. Hagumi and Kokoro spun around completely off beat and totally oblivious to that fact. Tomoe and Himari abandoned their posts to take turns stepping on each other’s feet—though at least their steps were on beat.

And then there was Moca. She shuffled in her chair, rolling her shoulders, adjusting her bow tie, so clearly undecided if she should make a joke, ask plainly or try to pretend she had no interest in joining the others.

“Moca,” Chisato called out her girlfriend’s name to calm her own nerves as much as gain her attention. “Shall we dance?”

Moca transformed. She jumped to her feet, little pony tail bouncing, and held out her hand to Chisato. “Please.”

Chisato laid her hand over Moca’s open palm and allowed herself to be pulled upright. To their mutual surprise, they met eye to eye. “Well, well, there’s an advantage to heels after all,” Chisato crooned, using her newfound height as an excuse to lead Moca by the hand into the open space.

There was no reason to believe Moca had any sort of dance experience before, let alone formal training, but Moca was the one to reach for Chisato’s waist with her right hand and who gathered their left hands together. With a raised eyebrow, Chisato placed her own right hand on the soft fabric over Moca’s shoulder. “Hmm?”

“Moca-chan is full of surprises,” Moca said as she began to rock them back and forth.

It only took a few missteps for Chisato to realize they’d finally found something Moca wasn’t a genius at. Moca was too careful to hurt when she stepped on Chisato’s toes, which was good because she consistently stepped on them every other beat. But Chisato couldn’t laugh when Moca was trying so hard, staring at their feet and muttering something under her breath. Chisato strained to hear what Moca was saying.

“Just tea for two and two for tea.” Forward step, forward step. “Just me for you and you for me alone.” Back step, back step. Chisato recognized the words—they were coming out of Aya’s mouth at the exact same time.

“Why Moca Aoba,” Chisato purred, admiring Moca’s strain to pay attention and keep them moving, “I never knew you were such a fan of American standards.”

“Ha ha,” Moca laughed nervously, “Moca-chan is full of mysteries as always.”

Chisato slid her hand up to the back of Moca’s neck, enjoying how she could feel the soft hairs normally covered up. “Who taught you how to dance, Moca?”

“Kaoru said it was a tie in promotion with the Yamabuki Bakery: buy one bun, get four weeks of dance lessons free.”

Kaoru probably thought that was a very clever ruse. “She’s a terrible teacher.”

“I’m a pretty bad student too.” Moca’s fingers drummed against her back. “You’re a lot more fun to hold. Would have paid extra attention to you.”

“So you knew this was coming?” Chisato motioned with her head behind them to… everything.

“I had a hunch. All my friends suddenly disappeared to do mysterious ‘shopping district business’, woke up to Hii-chan taking my measurements during one of my lunch naps, and then Tomo-chin and Ran kidnapped me after my shift. Pretty suspicious business if you ask ‘ol Moca-chan.”

“Oh Kaoru, I don’t know how she got so many people to waste their Saturday helping.”

Moca’s chuckle buzzed in her chest, “It’s not a waste. Our friends wanted to do something nice for you.”

“I think they wanted to do something nice for _you_.”

They both missed a step, narrowly avoiding crashing into Tsugumi and Sayo, lost in their own world.

Moca’s bright blue eyes squinted with confusion. She really believed everything had been done for Chisato’s sake, as strongly as Chisato believed it had been done for Moca’s. Chisato sighed at their matching insecurities, “We’re quite the pair, aren’t we?”

The music slowed to a stop. “I only learned how to dance to that one song,” Moca confessed.

“Fortunately,” Chisato dragged Moca’s hand from her back to her shoulder before squeezing Moca’s waist. “I can lead and follow just fine.”

They were far more elegant dancers with Chisato in charge. She swept them across the floor, weaving between their friends. While she kept the steps simple for Moca’s sake, it’d be a lie to say Chisato wasn’t trying to show off a little. It would be a shame to have dressed up so nicely and not show off years of movement training.

It was like a dream. Not the goal oriented sort that Aya had and Chisato didn’t, but the kind that came at night, so wonderful as to be impossible. Chisato dancing in a fanciful restaurant to a live band with her arms around the girl she loved. She didn’t get to have those niceties—maybe she didn’t deserve them—but for right now, for that moment, she’d been given permission to want it.

They never stopped dancing. While the other couples took breaks here and there, Chisato and Moca knew without asking the other that they were determined to make the most of what might be the one and only chance they had to dance openly. Chisato hated how her thoughts defaulted to such a negative stance and she hated more how she could tell from the tight way Moca’s hand encircled her shoulder that Moca was thinking the same thing.

“Thank you so much everyone!” Aya yelled like she was MCing a concert into her audience of less than twenty. “We have just one more song for you, so grab someone you love—or just kind of like no judgement—and hold them tight!”

One song left until the end of the dream.

Aya’s croon wavered into their ears, accompanied only by Arisa’s piano in a slow, romantic melody.

_“It's not the pale moon that excites me.”_

Chisato gave up on fancy steps. She and Moca rocked together, bodies pressed so tight their hearts could surely feel the other beating.

_“That thrills and delights me.”_

Moca laid her head in the crook of Chisato’s neck, warm breath against her collar. Chisato didn’t stop herself from resting her cheek on Moca’s head.

_“Oh no, it's just the nearness of you.”_

From their heels to their toes, they swayed until their eyes both fluttered closed and there was no more made up restaurant around them. Just the warmth of each other and the velvet voice encircling them.

_“It isn't your sweet conversation_

_That brings this sensation_

_Oh no, it's just the nearness of you.”_

It was so simple to be in love with Moca Aoba. No matter the complications it created, the love was never hard.

_“When you're in my arms_

_And I feel you so close to me_

_All my wildest dreams came true.”_

Maybe the reason she never had a dream was that it hurt too much knowing it would inevitably get taken away. But why did it have to? Why was her brain built to insist any happiness she had was a temporary distraction from her inevitable misery?

Who said Chisato Shirasagi couldn’t love Moca Aoba for as long as she wanted to?

_“I need no soft lights to enchant me_

_If you will only grant me_

_The right to hold you ever so tight.”_

The realization was so sudden and shocking that Chisato couldn’t help but voice it out loud. “I don’t want to break up.”

“Huh?” Moca jerked back with a shocked expression.

_“And to feel in the night_

_The nearness of you.”_

They fell apart from each other. Chisato stumbled on her heels before barely catching herself. “I…”

The music began to fade away.

“I have to go.” And Chisato did what she did best when she had no answers. She ran away.

* * *

Kaoru wasn’t surprised when Chisato dashed past her and out the front door. Really, she was surprised it had taken Chisato so long. Chisato had always had a mushy spot for the Great American Songbook. Kaoru still remembered spending hours pouring over the sorts of black and white movies that no other child would care about with Chisato when they were young and how Chisato would always imitate those actresses— their grace, their beauty, their power. If anything was going to make the evening’s heroine take flight, it was an old fashioned romance.

Now Kaoru just had to get the hero to follow.

Kaoru strode through the room, reaching through the protective bubble immediately formed around Moca by her closest friends at her paramour's flight to grab Moca by the hand and yank her free. She had the wide eyed shocked look of someone who’d just been woken from a nap.Which she sort of had been emotionally. But that wasn’t a helpful look at all, Kaoru needed her alert and ready for action.

“Chin up Aoba-san! This is the part of the movie where you go after the girl.”

Moca was silent, but the crowd of friends behind her were not.

“What?” All of Afterglow (and Sayo Hikawa) intoned at the same time.

“The hero has to after the heroine. Or rather heroine number 2 has to go after heroine number 1! It’s how the script goes!”

“That is just… so stupid. Life’s not a movie!” Ran answered for Moca. “It’s—it’s life!”

“Why not?” Kaoru laughed, arms open wide. “All the world’s a stage and every wall a screen! If you want happily ever after you just have to reach out for it!”

“That seems awfully naive, Seta-san,” Sayo sighed.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with romantic naivety,” Tsugumi spoke up, hand in hand with Sayo. “I think… maybe we need to be a little naive to fall in love in the first place.”

Kaoru nodded happily. “Exactly! Naivety makes the world spin!”  
“Heck yeah Seta-senpai!” Tomoe cheered. “I’ve never thought hard about loving Himari once!”

“I—I,” Ran stammered in disbelief at her friend. “I don’t know if that’s something to be proud of? But… I might agree?” Ran rubbed her forehead like she was going to be reckoning with this revelation for some time to come.

“You said you’d take care of her!” Kanon squeaked into the crowd, joined by the colorful collection of the others in their girl band collective. “Don’t give up now!”

Cheers of support rose up from all around them—a cacophony of love with Moca at the center.

“Ha, ha ha ha ha ha!”

Moca’s laughter drove everyone silent. She straightened her back and her bowtie and cracked her neck. “Moca-chan’s way too lazy to get another girlfriend.” She started for the door. “So she better go get the one she has.”

As Moca ran past, Kaoru smiled as she whispered, “thank you.”

Kaoru had never once doubted that they’d be alright.

* * *

The autumn moon was so high and lonely in the sky. The city lights bled out too high into the sky for any stars to be seen. The only thing in the void of the night was the solitary silver sphere. And the only thing on the street was a solitary golden actress.

It didn’t surprise Chisato that her friends had gotten the entire neighborhood to shut down. She was fairly sure some of them could get to the moon if they really put their minds to it. The quiet was welcome. She’d managed to run for about a block before her feet remembered she was in heels and despite what movies promised, heels made poor track shoes. Even just running the block was probably enough to form blisters on her feet, so she slipped off her heels and wandered the empty streets barefoot.

There was no elegant way to return to dinner with any dignity after such a dramatic exit.Chisato didn’t understand the point of dignity but still she clung to the concept. She sighed into the cold (and getting colder) night air. Telling her girlfriend she didn’t want to break up would probably lead the exact thing she’d said she didn’t want. At least it would end the anticipatory anxiety. At least she would always have her memories to return to on lonely nights like this.

“I don’t want to break up with you either.”

“Moca,” Chisato turned, letting hope and surprise fill her face. She’d wanted to be followed, but she never could have expected to be.

Moca squatted in half a meter away, huffing against her knees. Her tux had gotten mussed up: the bowtie was barely clinging on, the jacket was slung around her shoulder, and her cummerbund rose and fell rapidly with her panting. Moca forced herself upright, exhaustion dripping down her face. “I didn’t know we were saying obvious things but, if we are, that is at the top of my list of things I don’t want to do.”

Moca threw her head back, gulping down air, “It is SO HARD to run in this.”

Chisato stepped forward without thinking and walked around to Moca’s back to unhook the thick blue band cinching her waist. As soon as she was free of the cummerbund Moca’s panting eased. The straps of her shaking suspenders stilled. With tentative hands, Chisato reached around Moca, hugging her under the arms and pressing her forehead between Moca’s shoulder blades. “I’m sorry.”

“Dunno what you’re apologizing for.” Moca’s hands came up to cover Chisato’s—palms rubbing the backs of Chisato’s hands.

Chisato spoke into Moca’s back. “I can’t stop thinking about how temporary this is. It might be the most wonderful feeling in the world but it’s not real. It’s not my life. I’m just on holiday.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

Chisato’s hands gripped at Moca’s suspenders. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go to a restaurant like that with you. This whole thing happened because I told Kaoru in a moment of weakness that we’ve never been on a real date!”

Moca paused before answering. “But we’ve been on so many dates.” She laughed. “Turning all our friends into little Tsugus, watching movies with my family, waiting in line to shake your hand, holding you when you’re sick, even just walking by together while we eat bread… if those aren’t dates what are they?” Moca shook them both with her laughter. “If the only date that counts is going to some fancy restaurant, Moca-chan’s never gonna be able to afford that.”

“Moca…”

“I love you. I won’t say that’s the only thing that matters, cause it’s not, but I think it means a lot. I think it means we’re more than an arbitrary cut off date.” Her back trembled. “I want to stay your Moca.”

“My Moca…” Chisato let her arms fall loose. She let Moca turn around and take her head in her hands. And she kissed Moca just before Moca had the chance.With their arms around each other in the middle of an empty street they knew so well, Moca and Chisato kissed with the pent up tenderness of every time they couldn’t.

I’ll trust you, their kiss whispered

I’ll try for you, it promised.

When they pulled apart, all Chisato could do was shiver, the temperature finally catching up to her bare shoulders. Without a word, Moca threw her jacket over Chisato’s shoulders. It was just barely too big for her and that only made it more comfortable to pull around her as they walked aimlessly down the street.

Of course, a few steps into their walk Moca moaned, “It’s cooold.”

Chisato laughed, a stray snort escaping her throat, “Well you’re not getting your jacket back.” She nudged Moca with her comfortably warm shoulder.

“Please remember poor Moca-chan fondly when she’s nothing more than a popsicle.”

“Here,” Chisato caught Moca’s swinging hand in her own. “Does this help?”

Moca intertwined their fingers, pressing their palms together like a hug in miniature. “Yeah.”

So this was the revolutionary act of holding her girlfriend’s hand in the open air. There was still cold air on the back of Chisato’s hand but she could hardly feel it for the pure warmth from Moca’s palm. It was such a pure and perfect point of connection. Two people, two bodies held together by the hands between them.

She’d change her world to hold this hand.

“I should let everyone know we’re okay,” Moca fumbled in her pocket for her phone. When she got the screen open, she could only stare blankly at it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah ha…” Moca’s face was slowly turning red, like a tomato ripening in time lapse. “I think that… It seems like… Kaoru-san might have… arranged for my mom to win an overnight trip to a hot spring tonight.”

“Excuse me?”

“This afternoon she—uh—won a trip? So she’s… not home… right now…” The implications were very very evident from Moca’s cheeks up to her ears.

As calmly as she could, Chisato said, “I’m going to have to have a talk with Kaoru about boundaries.”

“Y-yeah. But…” Moca squeezed her hand. “Tomorrow right…? You don’t need to talk to her about it right now.”

Moca blush was catching, Chisato turned away. “Tomorrow…”

“Chisato,” she raised their joined hands and pressed a kiss to the back of Chisato’s hand. “Come home with me.”

* * *

When she was little Moca asked her mom to help her move her bed underneath the window. She said she liked the light but in truth, alarms just made her antsy. It was nicer to wake up with the sun. But sometimes she really hated it, like when it woke her up out of a nice dream. Or a dirty one. Which was a nice dream, she supposed, and it wasn’t like there was any harm in having a dirty dream about your own girlfriend.

It was still a little annoying to be woken up early on a Sunday morning when she probably could have gotten another hour out of the fantasy of Chisato in her arms. It got a lot less annoying when she opened her eyes onto Chisato’s bare back in her bed. What was the point of dreaming when reality was so much better?

The first time she saw Chisato’s back it had been high in the air, blown up onto a screen the size of a building in Shibuya, clad in one of those skimpy idol outfits. Moca had the memory because it was an ad for Y.O.L.O., the single Afterglow had written for Pastel Palettes, but she was glad to have it memorized for other reasons now. Chisato was so controlled on that screen. Moca really believed she knew where every one of her muscles was and how exactly they moved. She couldn’t imagine the exhaustion. All she could do was make a place Chisato could rest.

But now Chisato’s back was relaxed, turned away from Moca so they could both fit on her twin bed. Moca ran the very tip of her thumb down Chisato’s spine, treasuring the feeling of the smooth skin under her finger. She wanted to let Chisato sleep but the temptation was too strong. Moca couldn’t help but kiss her right between the blades of her shoulders—right where the greatest tension lay. “My Chisato,” she breathed into her skin.

“Mmm,” Chisato moaned with sleepiness and rolled over to face Moca. “Yes, your Chisato.”

Moca let the happiness in her heart spill over to her face, “Hey pretty lady, you got any plans today?”

“Practice in the afternoon,” Chisato murmured, nuzzling her head into Moca’s chest like she could make her plans go away through willpower alone. “Nothing this morning.”

“Sounds like you should stay with me,” Moca looped her arms around her girlfriend.

“Mmm, good idea.” Chisato’s eyes drifted shut for a split second before they shot open. “Except all I have with me is an evening gown.”

“We can stop by your place.”

“I’m not quite ready for a walk of shame.”

“No shame with Moca-chan, baby. Only pride.”

Chisato snorted, “Perfect, I’ll make sure they call it my walk of pride in the tabloids.”

“Just borrow my clothes. You can even wear my Aya happi~.”

“I’ll pass on the happi,” she pulled away to Moca’s protest and hopped out of bed. Chisato threw open Moca’s closet, rummaging through it for something suitable to wear. She settled on one of Moca’s comfiest hoodies and a pair of shorts. “Oh this is soft,” she pulled the mint greet hood down over her chest, admiring the bun on the front.

“That’s Moca-chan’s favorite~,” Moca said as she lazily rolled over to continue enjoying ogling her girlfriend.

“Well now it’s my favorite. No promises I’ll give it back.”

“Oh the sacrifices I make for love,” Moca sniffed.

Chisato wandered back to the edge of Moca’s bed. She pushed back Moca’s bangs and kissed her on the forehead, nodding with the deepest sympathy, “There there.” Then she playfully slapped Moca on the thigh and stood up, “Get dressed, we have to help them clean up Hazawa Coffee.”

“Nooooooooooo.”

But Moca was ever obedient. Half-blind with sleep, she threw something on over her body—Chisato made sure it wasn’t the Aya happi—and let her girlfriend lead the way back to their favorite coffee shop, enjoying the familiar silence between them. The world was just a bit brighter with Chisato at her side. The imperfections of the world were more acceptable together.

The shopping district had come back to life, the magic of the previous night replaced with bustling housewives and screaming kids. The “Cattoe Hazawa” sign was already gone, hopefully to somewhere Moca could sneak it away from for safe keeping—it was a national treasure, after all. Maya waved to them through the window, scrubbing off some scuff mark on the glass. Moca made a note to ask her if she still had a copy of that poetry book, she 100% needed to know what Kaoru had written in her ‘MocaChisa Poetry anthology’. Oh! And they’d probably missed dessert, maybe Tsugu had some leftover and—

Fingers wrapped and squeezed so quickly around her hand that Moca almost mistook it for a breeze. But she knew the way Chisato smiled at her that there was no mistake. They couldn’t walk hand in hand just yet, but someday…

And for now, they could push the door open to the place they belonged together.

“Welcome back!”

**Author's Note:**

> The two songs that Aya performs are [Tea for two](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOhYBUz4h-0) and [The Nearness of You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsczuCzyUs4)
> 
> What a blast. I am exhausted, I somehow wrote ~30,000 words in two weeks and I couldn't have done it without the support of my amazing friends and all the wonderful people who have been reading, kudoing and enjoying MocaChisa for the last week. I wanted people to understand why I feel so weirdly passionate about this pairing and I hope this little series has helped you "get it" and next time you see someone wondering "where did MocaChisa come from?" you can send them right here. 
> 
> I'm on twitter as TheShinySword (18+ only please)


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